PAM. 

FEOEI, 


'^7 


NATIONAL  FEDERATION  OF  CHURCHES 
AND  CHRISTIAN  WORKERS 
90  Bible  House 

(Fourth  Avenue  and  Ninth  Street  1, 

New  York  Citv 


CHURCH  FEDERATION 

ITS  NATURE  AND  FUNCTION 


PRESIDENT,  ALFRED  TYLER  PERRY,  D D 

MARIETTA  COLLEGE,  MARIETTA,  O. 


Federation  of  the  churches  rests  fundamentally 
upon  the  great  fact  that  all  Christians  are  one  in 
Christ.  This  is  not  merely  a doctrine  of  faith,  it 
is  a fact  of  life;  if  in  Christ,  then  of  necessity 
members  one  of  another.  By  virtue  of  the  union  to 
the  one  Lord,  through  the  one  faith,  as  declared 
in  the  one  baptism,  all  Christians  are  brethren,  of 
the  same  family,  fellow  members  of  the  body  of 
Christ.  This  unity  may  be  denied ; it  cannot  be 
destroyed.  The  brother  in  the  flesh  may  be  dis- 
owned and  cast  out,  but  his  relation  as  brother 
cannot  thereby  be  annihilated ; he  is  a brother 
still.  The  same  is  true  of  this  spiritual  brother- 
hood. Christian  unity  is  then  not  an  ideal  to  be 
striven  for,  but  a fact  to  be  manifested.  The  re- 
lation exists;  it  should  be  given  proper  expres- 
sion; it  must  be  confessed  before  men.  Along 
with  this  fundamental  unity  it  is  being  increas- 
ingly recognized  in  these  days  that  all  Christians, 
in  spite  of  their  differences,  have  more  things  in 
common  than  they  have  separately.  The  doc- 
trines that  are  held  in  common  are  too  the  most 
important,  those  that  separate  are  the  more  super- 


ficial.  And  so  the  past  twenty  years  has  witnessed 
more  genuine  attempts  to  reunite  the  scattered 
flocks  of  Protestantism  than  all  the  centuries 
since  the  Reformation.  This  movement  toward 
union  is  of  vast  significance  and  is  worthy  of 
most  careful  study. 

Coincident  with  this  rise  of  the  spirit  of  unity, 
due  to  the  recognition  of  essential  oneness,  there 
has  come  to  the  churches  a new  sense  of  the 
economic  waste  of  division  and  of  the  practical 
necessity  of  co-operation  if  the  work  of  winning 
the  world  is  ever  to  be  accomplished.  Rivalry 
which  simply  meant  competition  might  be  toler- 
ated, but  rivalry  which  involved  a squandering  of 
resources  was  not  to  be  borne  in  an  age  like  this. 
Moreover,  the  congestion  of  population  in  our 
cities  has  brought  new  conditions  of  work  to 
the  churches.  It  is  no  longer  possible  for  the 
ministry  of  a place  to  know  all  the  individuals 
and  their  church  relations.  A canvass  made  by 
the  Federation  of  Churches  and  Christian  organi- 
zations of  New  York  City  discovered  that  one- 
fourth  of  all  the  Protestant  ministers  in  New 
York  were  calling  on  families  connected  with 
their  several  churches  and  all  living  within  one 
area  of  eighteen  blocks,  while  one-third  of  all 
the  Protestant  families  of  that  same  district  were 
without  church  homes.  Nothing  can  cure  such  a 
condition  except  the  co-operation  of  all,  and  the 
thorough  organization  of  the  work.  Division  of 
labor  and  combination  of  workers,  these  potent 
principles  of  the  industrial  world,  must  be  adopted 
by  the  church  of  Christ  if  effective  work  is  to  be 
done  and  economic  waste  prevented. 


2 


Here,  then,  in  the  fundamental  unity  of  all 
Christians  in  Christ,  in  the  consciousness  Cjf 
brotherhood  which  has  been  growing  in  the  last 
quarter  of  the  century,  in  an  appreciation  of  the 
new  conditions  of  modern  life,  and  the  new  prin- 
ciples of  modern  industry — in  these  the  Fed- 
eration of  the  churches  finds  its  ground. 

But  Federation  is  only  one  of  many  attempts  to 
secure  the  same  ends.  People  have  sought-  to 
manifest  this  unity  of  the  church  in  many  ways. 
First,  through  a fraternal  recognition  and  fellow- 
ship with  all  Christians  of  whatever  name.  This 
is  daily  growing  in  range  and  heartiness  of  ex- 
pression. Again  in  manifold  forms  of  co-opera- 
tion, although  such  forms  are  usually  spasmodic 
and  temporary.  Many  have  further  proposed  the 
organic  union  of  all  churches  under  one  great 
administrative  organization,  manifesting  the  unity 
of  the  body  of  Christ  through  a governmental 
control  of  each  part  by  and  for  the  whole.  But 
varied  as  have  been  the  schemes  proposed  and  the 
platforms  presented,  there  has  been  almost  no 
fruit  from  all  these  attractive  schemes.  One  form 
of  Federation  has  been  more  successful.  De- 
nominations having  a similar  doctrine  and  polity 
have  formed  alliances  in  order  to  promote  mutual 
Understanding  and  comity  in  benevolent  work. 
Such  are  the  Pan-Anglican  Alliance,  the  Pan- 
Methodist  Conference,  and,  largest  of  all,  the 
Pan-Presbyterian  Alliance,  which,  in  its  recent 
meeting  at  Washington,  included  representatives 
from  eighty  denominations  having  a Presbyterian 
polity.  This  form  of  permanent  fellowship  has 
been  aptly  described  by  Dr.  Josiah  Strong  as 


3 


“Federation  at  the  top,”  because  the  chief  As- 
semblies or  Synods  of  the  various  denominations 
appoint  delegates  to  represent  them  at  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Alliance.  A modification  of  this  in 
a small  area  is  found  in  organizations  like  the  In- 
terdenominational Commission  of  Maine.  That  is 
comity  and  co-operation  within  the  State  limits, 
but  it  is  a union  of  denominations  of  such  through 
their  representatives. 

Distinguished  from  all  these  methods  of  mani- 
festing the  unity  of  the  church  is  the  local  Fed- 
eration of  Churches — in  Dr.  Strong’s  phrase 
“Federation  at  the  bottom,”  a federation  not  of 
denominations,  but  of  individual  churches.  This 
is  a permanent  union  of  all  the  local  churches  in 
a given  area  for  the  accomplishment  of  common 
ends.  One  of  its  chief  advantages  is  that  it  is 
independent  of  all  denominational  complications. 
The  barriers  of  creed  and  practice  are  simply  ig- 
nored. As  Christians  in  the  same  community  and 
equally  feeling  the  burden  of  promoting  righteous- 
ness in  the  social  life,  and  of  bringing  the  mes- 
sage of  the  Gospel  to  all  the  souls  in  the  com- 
munity, as  brethren  of  the  same  Master,  soldiers 
in  the  same  army,  members  of  the  same  body 
of  Christ,  though  gathered  into  separate  groups 
for  worship  and  work,  all  recognize  the  need  of 
working  together  and  of  dividing  with  others  a 
work  which  is  too  great  for  any  one  or  for  any- 
one group.  Instead  of  trying  to  minimize  differ- 
ences and  or-erlook  essential  divergencies,  these 
are  frankly  confessed  and  then  treated  as  irrele- 
vant to  the  purpose  in  hand.  Being  a union  not 
on  the  basis  of  doctrine  but  of  service,  a union  not 


4 


for  government  but  for  evangelization,  all  dis- 
tinctions are  pushed  dowrn  and  out  of  sight. 

Denominational  differences  indeed  are  not  to 
be  despised  as  of  no  importance.  They  spring 
out  of  conscientious  adherence  to  certain  doctrinal 
beliefs.  The  things  that  separate,  while  not  so 
fundamental  as  the  things  that  unite,  are  yet  mat- 
ters of  faith.  In  the  last  analysis  it  is  always 
loyalty  to  the  truth  as  seen  that  causes  one  de- 
nomination to  maintain  itself  as  distinct  from  an- 
other. These  distinctions  are  therefore  not  to  be 
overthrown  lightly.  It  may  be  that  all  varieties 
are  needed  in  order  that  the  white  light  of  truth 
may  be  seen  in  its  clearness  by  the  blending  of 
the  many  hues  of  denominational  assertion.  Any 
attempt  to  unite  these  denominations  which  in- 
volves the  giving  up  of  the  things  for  which  each 
denomination  peculiarly  stands  is  therefore  prac- 
tically hopeless  if  not  undesirable.  But  under- 
neath these  differences  there  is  the  fundamental 
unity  which  must  also  find  expression,  and  out- 
side of  all  denominations  is  the  mass  of  the  un- 
churched to  whom  the  common  Gospel  needs  first 
to  be  presented  before  the  denominational  points 
can  be  understood.  The  local  Federation  fur- 
nishes a method  by  which  this  unity  may  be  ex- 
pressed without  destruction  of  the  denominational 
peculiarities ; and  a means  of  accomplishing  the 
common  work  by  a sensible  and  effective  co- 
operation. The  church  entering  the  Federation 
does  not  lay  aside  any  of  the  denominational 
affiliations  or  obligations,  it  simply  undertakes 
with  other  Christian  churches  of  its  own  neigh- 
borhood to  do  the  work  of  Christ  more  efficiently. 


5 


While  thus  drawing  all  the  churches  of  a 
given  community  together  for  a permanent  co- 
operation and  the  correlation  of  their  activities, 
while  expressing  the  essential  unity  of  all  Chris- 
tians in  those  churches,  the  Federation  does  not 
erect  a new  denomination ; the  union  is  local, 
it  is  for  service ; it  establishes  no  authority  over 
any  church,  all  service  is  freely  undertaken,  no 
compulsion  is  possible  in  any  case.  The  work  of 
all  is  systematized,  but  not  controlled. 

As  already  hinted,  the  work  of  the  Federation 
follows  two  main  lines  or  falls  into  two  chief 
departments.  The  most  fundamental  is  that  of 
evangelization.  How  to  reach  effectively  with  the 
Gospel  every  individual  in  the  community  is  the 
problem  which  presses  on  the  churches.  The 
Federation  solves  it  through  the  co-operative 
parish  plan.  To  every  church  a given  geograph- 
ical area  for  which  it  shall  be  responsible — that 
is  the  watchword.  This  does  not  mean,  of  course, 
that  all  the  people  of  that  area  are  assigned  to 
any  one  church,  but  simply  that  this  one  church 
agrees  to  see  to  it  that  every  individual  in  that 
section  who  does  not  already  have  a church  home 
shall  have  an  invitation  presented  to  him  to  at- 
tach himself  to  some  church,  not  of  necessity  the 
church  of  that  district,  but  the  church  of  his  own 
choice.  The  invitation  is  an  invitation  to  the 
church  of  Christ,  not  to  any  one  branch  of  it. 
Herein  is  the  co-operation.  The  church  of  the 
district  reports  to  other  churches  those  whom  it 
finds  with  preferences  for  others.  It  will  receive 
like  reports  from  other  districts.  There  is  no 
way  in  which  every  soul  can  surely  be  reached 


6 


in  our  cities  except  by  such  a geographical  divi- 
sion of  the  territory  into  parishes,  and  the  assign- 
ment of  each  parish  to  one  particular  church. 
That  this  plan  requires  a considerable  degree  of 
Christian  fraternity  is  admitted ; that  such  a de- 
gree is  now  existent  in  most  of  the  churches  is, 
however,  believed. 

The  other  chief  department  of  the  work  of  the 
Federation  will  be  along  the  line  of  civic  reform. 
The  Christian  forces  of  the  city  are  disorganized 
and  at  a great  disadvantage  in  any  conflict  with 
the  forces  of  evil.  The  saloon  is  organized,  and 
has  its  influence  in  politics ; the  church  is  not 
organized,  and  has  practically  no  influence  in 
politics.  Bad  men  in  office  advance  evil  ends. 
Good  men  in  office  have  no  backing  in  their  at- 
tempts to  promote  good  ends.  The  cause  of 
righteousness  in  all  our  cities  waits  for  the 
consolidation  of  the  Christian  forces  of  the  city 
and  for  some  recognized  instrumentality  for 
expressing  the  united  Christian  sentiment  of 
the  community  in  regard  to  all  moral  issues.  The 
history  of  the  Federation  movement  in  England, 
as  well  as  the  initial  efforts  of  some  in  this  coun- 
try, furnish  a striking  promise  of  what  may  be 
accomplished  along  these  lines  by  a well-organized 
and  well-supported  Federation. 

The  Federation  of  the  Churches  is  no  patent 
scheme  for  working  miracles.  Of  itself  it  will 
not  straightway  inaugurate  the  millennium.  But 
of  all  attempts  to  express  the  unity  of  the  Chris- 
tian church  it  is  the  most  hopeful,  of  all  co- 
operative measures  it  has  been  most  effective,  of 
all  instruments  for  evangelization  and  reform  it 


7 


has  proved  by  far  the  most  successful.  The 
wonderful  growth  of  the  movement  in  England  m 
the  past  decade,  its  slower  but  accelerating  growth 
in  this  country,  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand, 
the  results  already  attained,  and  the  promise  cf 
future  conquests  which  is  in  it,  mark  it  as  the 
most  significant  religious  movement  since  the 
Reformation.  The  world  will  wait  long  for  the 
disappearance  of  all  denominational  divisions  and 
the  welding  of  all  Christians  into  one  great  ex- 
ternal organization.  The  organic  union  of  Chris- 
tendom is  still  a dream.  But  if  there  shall  come 
the  day,  which  seems  not  far  away,  when  in  all 
cities  and  towns  of  this  and  other  lands  the 
churches  are  bound  into  local  federations,  then 
we  believe  the  prayer  of  our  Lord  will  find  its  an- 
swer in  the  oneness  of  His  disciples,  a oneness 
so  manifested  to  the  world  that  all  shall  believe  in 
His  divine  mission  and  give  Him  glory. 


